At age 27, back in 1970, he placed a brand new orange Corvette atop his car lot’s sign when he opened it in Evansville, Indiana. He ended up selling the business in 1996, and the car came down.

But now at age 69, he’s reopening Bennett Motors and has installed a brand new 2012 Corvette high in the sky – some 42 feet – to promote his used car business. This one has just 23 miles on the odometer.

“It’s something that’s expensive, and the more expensive it is, the more ridiculous it seems,” said Bennett. “And the more ridiculous it seems, the more people are going to notice it and start talking about it.”

The Corvette soared to its roosting place on Monday, thanks to Hank’s Signs Neon & Plastic Services and Buck’s Crane Service. Buck’s used a 200-foot crane to lift the Corvette, which was bolted to a steel pedestal and encased in a steel-framed carriage. Hank’s workers fastened the car to the sign once it was in the sky.

Ironically, Wade Flake Jr., 61, was there when the first Corvette was placed atop the sign. He was 19 back then and worked for his dad, who started the business. Wade remembers well how nerve-racking it was to be one of the guys responsible for holding the tag line that guides the carriage away from the car once it’s attached to the sign.

Believe it or not, Flake and his crew will have to wash and wax the car every three months., even though it won’t be driven. Also, Bennett had to install a “squawker box” under the car to keep small birds from making a big nest out of the car.

Mitch Talley has loved Corvettes since he was just 8 years old. He's owned 10 Corvettes since 1983, including examples from the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth generations. His goal is to own first, second, and seventh generation cars someday. He and his son, Chris, also a Corvette enthusiast, served as Captains of the 2014 Georgia Corvette Caravan.